Tritton Ax Micro Stereo Bluetooth Headset review: Tritton Ax Micro Stereo Bluetooth Headset

Every once in awhile we get Bluetooth headsets made from a company we don't usually hear about, and Tritton is one of them. Known mostly for their USB devices, Tritton is venturing into the headset market with the AX Micro, a Bluetooth headset with one of the most unusual earpiece covers we've seen yet. Though we can't say we like the design, we do think it has fairly decent sound quality, and it's quite affordable at $59.99.

From the outset, the AX Micro looks like the average Bluetooth headset. Measuring about 1.5 inches long by 0.6 inch wide by 0.3 inch deep, the AX Micro is small and compact, with an all black rectangular casing. Its multifunction button is on the top of the headset, and the volume buttons are on the left and right side. We found the buttons rather slippery and smooth--we would've liked to have a bit more texture on the buttons so they would be easier to find by feel. However, they are slightly raised above the surface and yielded easily to pressure. There's an LED status indicator light on the lower part of the front face.

Turn the headset around and you'll find one of the most unusual earbud covers we've ever seen. It's in the shape of a rectangle, with perforated holes, as well as five rubber "fingers" protruding from the top. These fingers act as in-ear "grips" so that the AX Micro fits securely in the rim of the ear. This means the earpiece of the AX Micro is meant to rest against the outside of the ear canal, propped up with the help of the rubber grips. We have to admit that we're not entirely sold on the idea. The fit feels odd and uncomfortable, and too much background noise interferes with incoming sound because the earpiece isn't worn in the ear canal. However, it is true that the grip makes the earpiece more secure--it definitely felt like it wasn't going to fall out accidentally.

Features on the AX Micro are fairly standard. You get the typical answering, ending, and rejecting calls, last number redial, voice dial, call waiting support, call mute, a low battery status indicator, and the capability to transfer calls from the handset to the headset and vice versa.

We tested the Trittion AX Micro with the RIM BlackBerry Pearl. Sound quality was pretty good in quiet environments--we heard our callers just fine, and they heard us loud and clear as well. However, callers reported some static at certain points in the conversation, and they could sometimes get ambient noise. The ambient noise worsened when in a louder environment such as in a crowded restaurant. We definitely had problems hearing them when on a windy sidewalk as well. That said, the AX Micro sounds just fine when driving in a car or walking around the office, despite the static issues.

The Tritton AX Micro has a rated talk time of 4 hours and a standby time of 6.25 days. It also comes with a charging base.